Yes, you will have to submit your resume for jobs you see posted. It will fall into a terrible black hole, but you know that, so you will follow up persistently!
Here are some tips on how you can do this better:
1) Apply if you meet 50% or more of the stated requirements.
Many job seekers look at job postings and self-eliminate themselves. You have to remember that some, not all, employers really are not sure what they are looking for. They may be thinking, if we get something close to what we are looking for, it'll work. Or they may be thinking, I'll know the right candidate when I met 'em. You do not know which requirements are most important to the employer, therefore, you don't know which they may be willing to overlook or compromise on. Of course, the closer you are to having what they want, the better. It is critical to remember that more skills/experience/talent, is not better, it is EXPENSIVE. So don't overdo how you represent yourself. Here's a little question, what makes you think you would be happy performing a job that only requires 1-3 or 3-5 years experience anyway? That job is way below the skill level of the experienced professional. It is entry level. You see more of these jobs usually because the employer knows there are more candidates out there. The good jobs, 5+ years experience, are usually filled from within the company or through word of mouth (see CareerXroads study) The more jobs you apply to, the greater your odds are of being a candidate...it's like playing the lottery, you can't win if you don't buy a ticket!
2) Use meta-search engines and niche websites
I have added Indeed.com to the side of this blog, use it. You may also want to try www.simplyhired.com and www.jobcentral.com. These 3 are searching hundreds of job posting boards each. If you find more jobs, you can apply for more jobs. Companies have logic or maybe strategies they use to determine where they will post their openings. It might be based on the type of job their are trying to fill, it may be based on the type of candidate they hope to recruit. Also use niche job posting boards. If you are looking for a position in a college or university, try www.higheredjobs.com. There are over 40,000 job posting boards according to Peter Weddle's website. You don't know about many of them, but ask around, you will soon know more than you want to. Of course you will definitely want to regularly check target company websites too.
3) Use more than one method to apply
With a little investigation, you can find the mailing address to almost every job you apply to. Why not send them a hard copy viathe good old USPS. Remember, you don't know the preferences of the people or person receiving resumes. Might it be easier for them to review hard-copy than opening and reviewing email? If you have sent your resume and cover letter both ways, you've increased your odds.
4) Blind ads are real
Just because a posting doesn't list the company's name, doesn't mean it is bogus. It just means the company doesn't want to list it's name. Unless you are employed, there's no risk, danger, or problem with applying for these jobs. No, you can't followup, but, oh well.
5) www.craigslist.com
I never would have mentioned this as an option had people not been getting hired for jobs using it. I have heard of several in the last year, who found their job using this website. Remember, it may not have been the only way they heard about the job. It is a nice option for the employer because it is free.
Use all methods available to engage in a successful job search-Networking, Recruiters, Direct Contact. Using on-line boards is passive, feels safe, but isn't all there is. Use time wisely, you should really be applying for jobs on-line early in the morning or late at night when you can't be networking or calling people at work. Get out of your house!
This survey seems a bit flawed to me. Indeed.com and Simplyhired.com are search engines. They do not allow for posting resumes as they are not job posting boards. It is always good to learn about other sites, I visited Jobfox.com and realmatch.com. They are different in that they ask you to create a more detailed profile. I am just not sure how much time I would spend completing that info not knowing the true results and also with the job climate today, I don't think company recruiters need to look here. Hey, but you never know.
Posted by: Career Sherpa | November 22, 2008 at 06:07 AM
About.com surveyed human resource professionals and recruiters about which of the top 10 job sites they found the best candidates on, survey results here:
http://humanresources.about.com/gi/pages/poll.htm?poll_id=5763275227&linkback=http://humanresources.about.com/b/a/258241.htm
Posted by: Peter | November 15, 2008 at 02:25 PM